This is a recipe from my mom and a favorite of my husband. The tender pork with the sweet and savory sauce with dried figs is so delicious. I often use this recipe for a dinner party. It is a good crowd-pleaser. 

Allow time to do some pre-planning. The pork will need to brine for at least six hours and bake for an additional half an hour or more and the fig sauce takes over an hour to reduce. 

I like to serve this with creamy polenta and a nice green salad. I never use instant polenta, so I recommend you allow extra time to stir and thicken the polenta. It is well worth your time spent over the stove. 

Yield 6 servings

2 pork tenderloins
Salt for the brine and for seasoning the pork
2 cups balsamic vinegar
1 cup orange juice
1 cup dried figs, sliced lengthwise in quarters
1 tsp pepper
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 Tbsp seeded mustard
2 Tbsp fennel seed chopped
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ tsp hot sauce
2 fennel bulbs, sliced

Place the pork in a bowl or a large plastic resealable bag. Add water and 4 Tbsp of salt and place in the refrigerator to brine for 6 hours or more. 

In a skillet add the balsamic, orange juice, and dried figs and simmer on low for 1-2 hours. You should end up with softened figs in a thick, rich sauce. 

Once the pork has brined, rinse it, and pat it dry. Season the pork with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. In a skillet, add the oil and let it heat up. Add the pork. Once the pork is brown on one side, turn it over. Let it brown and on the second side and then remove it from the pan and let it cool down. 

Heat oven to 350℉. 

In a small bowl add both mustards, fennel seed, soy sauce, and hot sauce. Remove the tops and the core at the bottom of the fennel bulbs. Slice them in ½-inch slices. Place the pork in an ovenproof pan with sides. Brush the mustard mixture over both of the pork loins. Scatter the fennel slices in the pan and bake for approximately 30-45 minutes depending on your desired doneness. Let the pork sit and rest for 15 minutes, then slice and serve. 

You can serve it on a platter sliced over creamy polenta with the fig reduction spooned over the top. Or you can serve the polenta on the side and the sauce on the side so that you and your guests can add as much or as little of the sauce as they would like. 

Just Salt It, and enjoy!